that's the mission and history of the cooper union. in its more recent history, school administrators announced to chip away at the policy. they will begin charging tuition for gradual students starting this school year. undergrads are safe for now but maybe later they will have admissions too. they searched for a way out of what it described as a deepening financial hole. despite the recent financial crisis, thousand, the cooper union has maintained $600 million endowment. it owns the land beneath the chrysler building, but the school says it's operating at a loss and the shortfall has to come from somewhere, including from the students. never mind what the school's founder and namesake said about a free education for any student. if you know anything about students, you know the evolving school tuition policy has not been accepted by the student body. they did not shrug and say, oh, well, before stopping in for a student loan application. instead right now they're staging a sit-in. they barricaded themselves inside an eighth floor ro